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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — rain
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — happy
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — the fish
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bass — low music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — a tin
  12. toast — bread
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. dip — to sink
  17. staff — employees
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. shower — to wash
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — the amount
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com